Using the archival sources, The Colonial and National Formations of the National College of Arts, Lahore, c1870–1960 tells the story of the formation and transformation of Pakistan's premier art institution the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, the bureaucratic body responsible for the growth of design schools, museums, art and architecture of present-day Pakistan since the nineteenth century. By turning the pages of the NCA's history, from the days of the British Raj to the early decades of independence, the book unravels and deconstructs the disciplinary frameworks of art history and anthropology woven into the imperial and national discourses as diverse modes of objectification of Pakistani art and artists.